Byron Donalds faces lawsuit

Byron Donalds, the Republican congressman and Trump-backed candidate for Florida governor, is facing a civil lawsuit over an alleged confrontation at a Naples grocery store in 2022. Kelly Mason, a Collier County school board member, filed the case in Collier County Circuit Court on July 7, according to local reports citing court records. The complaint alleges Donalds cornered her at Seed to Table, berated her and threatened to “crush” or “finish” her. Donalds’ campaign has denied the allegations and called the lawsuit politically motivated. ### Where did the allegation come from? July 9 social media posts amplified the lawsuit, but the underlying case appears to have been filed two days earlier in Collier County. WTXL reported that court records showed the matter was filed July 7 as an “Other Circuit Civil” case, with a complaint and demand for jury trial entered the same day. Florida Phoenix and Naples Daily News also reported the filing and identified Mason as the plaintiff. (floridaphoenix.com) Kelly Mason was elected to the Collier County School Board in November 2022, Florida Phoenix reported. The suit stems from an encounter that Mason says took place in August 2022, before she took office. ### What does Mason say happened inside the store? The complaint, as described by multiple local outlets, says the encounter happened at Seed to Table, a grocery store in Naples. (wtxl.com) Mason alleges Donalds confronted her over litigation involving his wife, Erika Donalds, while Mason was with her husband and two young children. (floridaphoenix.com) WTXL reported that Mason says Donalds threatened to “crush” or “finish” her. Florida Phoenix reported the complaint also alleges that Donalds’ senior adviser, Larry Wilcoxson, pursued Mason through the store while yelling and creating a disturbance. ### What was the dispute about? Florida Phoenix reported that Mason had been involved in earlier litigation against Byron Donalds, Erika Donalds and others in federal court in 2022. (wtxl.com) The grocery-store confrontation, according to the complaint, was tied to that legal dispute. Naples Daily News, as summarized in search results, reported that Mason had been involved in a lengthy legal dispute with Donalds’ wife before filing the new case. WFLA similarly reported that the alleged exchange stemmed from Mason suing Erika Donalds. (floridaphoenix.com) ### How is Donalds responding? Gates McGavick, communications director for Donalds’ campaign, called the lawsuit “a baseless, politically motivated attack and shameful publicity stunt designed to damage Byron Donalds in the 2026 election,” according to Florida Phoenix and WTXL. He also said the plaintiff had “a long history of unsuccessful litigation against the Donalds family.” (naplesnews.com) WTXL reported that the campaign has framed the suit as a political attack as Donalds runs to replace term-limited Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Florida Phoenix described Donalds as the front-runner for the Republican nomination. ### What is Mason asking the court to do? Collier County court records, as cited by WTXL, show the case was filed as a civil matter and includes a demand for a jury trial. (floridaphoenix.com) Mason is seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages and other relief, according to WTXL and Florida Phoenix. Anthony Sabatini, a Lake County commissioner and former Republican state lawmaker, is representing Mason in the case, Florida Phoenix reported. (wtxl.com) The next public developments are likely to come through Collier County Circuit Court filings, including any response from Donalds or motions to dismiss. (floridaphoenix.com)